1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a word converting apparatus for converting a word to another word, and more particularly to a word converting apparatus having a capability to recognize a cooccurrent relationship between words that are entered.
2. Description of the Related Art
Word converting apparatus, e.g., kana-to-kanji converting apparatus for converting kana characters (Japanese phonetic alphabetical characters) into kanji characters (Japanese ideographic alphabetical characters), sometimes use a cooccurrent relationship between words to obtain correct converted results. For example, a Japanese kana word "atsui" has a plurality of kanji candidates including `` (atsui), `` (atsui), etc. to convert to. If a cooccurrent relationship between `` (kami) and `` (atsui) and also between `` (natsu) and `` (atsui) is used, then it is possible to convert "atsui kami" properly to `` (atsui kami) and also "atsui natsu" properly to `` (atsui natsu) all at once.
An Note: The Japanese word `` means "warm", the Japanese word `` means "thick", the Japanese word `` means "paper", and the Japanese word `` means "summer".
It is important to inform the user that the converted results which have been achieved are highly reliable on the basis of information representing the cooccurrent relationship which the word converting apparatus has. If the user is not informed that a converted result is highly reliable when it is a word which the user is not accustomed to or a word of a language other than his own tongue, then the user may not be certain about the converted result and may tend to compare again candidate alternatives including other conversion candidates, resulting in a burdensome process for the user.
One conventional word converting apparatus displays conversion candidates in a cooccurrent relationship with the same attribution to show the user that these conversion candidates are in a cooccurrent relationship (see, for example, Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 5-151199).
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows an example of a screen image displayed in a conventional word converting apparatus. Specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates a converted result with respect to an entered string of Japanese characters "kotoshi no natsu wa totemo atsui". The word `` (natsu) and the word `` (atsui) are given the same attribution, indicating that these words are in a cooccurrent relationship.
Note: The Japanese word `` means "this year", the Japanese character `` is used as a particle, the Japanese character `` is used as a particle, and the Japanese word `` means "very".
However, the above conventional word converting apparatus has been problematic in that when the word converting apparatus recognizes a plurality of cooccurrent relationships containing one word, it does not show the user that there are combinations other than the first conversion candidate even if there are possibly a plurality of converted results.
FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) of the accompanying drawings show examples of screen images displayed in a conventional word converting apparatus. In the example shown in FIG. 2(a), a cooccurrent relationship is displayed. In the example shown in FIG. 2(b), no cooccurrent relationship is displayed.
It is assumed that when a string of Japanese characters "kami o suku", for example, is entered, there are two possible converted results `` (kami o suku) and `` (kami o suku), and both are registered as cooccurrent relationships in the word converting apparatus.
Note: The Japanese character `` is used as a particle, the Japanese word `` means "make (paper)", the Japanese word `` means "hair", and the Japanese word `` a means "comb".
It is assumed that first, the word converting apparatus selects `` (kami o suku), displaying a cooccurrent relationship between the word `` (kami) and the word `` (suku) (see FIG. 2(a)). The word `` (kami) and the word `` (suku) are given attribution. However, the user is not aware that there is another cooccurrent relationship with respect to the words `` (kami o suku).
Even when the user reselects the converted result with respect to "kami" and changes it to `` (kami), only the attribution disappears (see FIG. 2(b)), and the user is given no positive way of recognizing any information indicating that `` (suku) should be selected for "suku", though such information is retained in the word converting apparatus.
In order for the user to recognize such information, it is necessary to rely on such coincidence that when the word `` (kami) and the word `` (suku) happen to be selected at the same time, they are given the same attribution as a result.
Another problem, which arises under the same circumstances, is that once a certain word which is in a cooccurrent relationship to another word is replaced with another converted result (which is not in a cooccurrent relationship to the other word), the display of any attribution indicative of the cooccurrent relationship disappears, and cannot be used again.
For example, it is assumed that only a cooccurrent relationship `` (kami/suku) is registered for a combination of Japanese words "kami/suku". When a converted result `` (kami o suku) is displayed based on such a cooccurrent relationship, if the user reselects `` (suku) for `` (suku), then the user has no way of obtaining again information indicating that there is a cooccurrent relationship between the word `` (kami) and the word `` (suku). The user is allowed to use such information only when he reselects `` (suku) for `` (suku) while in atrial-and-error process. However, such an opportunity occurs as a coincidence in the trial-and-error process.
Note: The Japanese word `` means "like".
According to still another problem, even if the user knows a cooccurrent relationship of `` (kami o suku), for the user to reselect words for the words `` (kami osuku) after they have been selected in the word converting apparatus, it is necessary to change the word `` (kami) to the word `` (kami) and then change the word `` (suku) to the word `` (suku). Since the user needs to select converted results repeatedly twice, a large burden is imposed on the user.
When a string of words contains a plurality of cooccurrent relationships of the same intensity, some displayed attribution is not clear as to which combination of words it gives a cooccurrent relationship to.
FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) show examples of screen images displayed in a conventional word converting apparatus. In the example shown in FIG. 3(a), a correct conversion is displayed. In the example shown in FIG. 3(b), an incorrect conversion is displayed.
When a string of Japanese characters "natsu wa atsui kami da to atsui", for example, is entered, a correct converted result is `` (natsu wa atsui kami da to atsui) (see FIG. 3(a)).
Note: The Japanese character `` is used as a particle, the Japanese character `` is used as an adverb, and the Japanese character `` is used as a particle.
If a combination of the word "natsu" and the following "atsui" and a combination of the word "kami" and the word "atsui" at the end of the string are recognized as being in a cooccurrent relationship, and the string is erroneously converted to `` (natsu wa atsui kami da to atsui) (see FIG. 3(b)), then the pattern of attribution shown in FIG. 3(b) is the same as the pattern of attribution shown in FIG. 3(a) which illustrates the correct converted result.
As described above, when a string of words contains a plurality of cooccurrent relationships, an erroneous recognition of a combination of words in a cooccurrent relationship cannot be distinguished from a correct recognition. Therefore, the display of attribution indicative of a cooccurrent relationship is not highly reliable.